1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods and systems for the copying of books, pages, pictures and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The procurement of a book protected by copyright involves a purchase from the copyright proprietor or his or her agent. If the purchaser needs to have a copy of the book, a page thereof or a picture contained therein, the copy or a right to make the copy must be procured. Sometimes, a reprint may be available from the publisher. However, a right to make a copy must be obtained from the publisher or its agent. In the past, copies have been authorized from the book itself via a copy machine. This procedure can be very time consuming if the number of pages to be copied is large.
Another possible solution to giving a right to make a copy is to provide an electronic image of the book or a part thereof for reproduction to the person requesting the copy. However, copyright proprietors are reluctant to put an electronic image in the hands of someone who wants to make a copy without secure safeguards that will prevent access to others and limit the number of copies that can be made.
What is needed is a process that makes a right or license to make copies available that permits a user to make human readable copies from of an electronic image of the copyrighted material with proper safeguards to the copyright proprietor.